“Scientists discover rare weight loss “Wonder Herb” – I’m sure you don’t buy that. You know full well that there’s no “Wonder Herb” in dieting. Dieting is hard and arduous. Watch “The Biggest Loser” to see how hard it is.

The author, Liz McCellan writes, “Don’t get me wrong. I think marketing automation is a smart tool to invest in, but I want to give some candid advice about setting the right expectations.” She goes to compare marketing automation to becoming a parent – everyone congratulates you, but you are in for hard work. One recommendation: she urges you to set realistic dates – and then add at least six more months.

Liz makes a great point in her article. What does your software purchase do toward fixing your company’s problems with generating quality sales leads? Absolutely nothing! (This is not a knock on products from companies such as Marketo, Eloqua, Silverpop, Neolane, and Pardot. They are fine products from solid companies.)

The only way to REALLY fix your lead generation challenges is to do a lot of hard work – the diet and exercise, if you will – which we summarize in these 10 steps.